the kiling joke: the added up story
by laura2314
Summary: I really dislike the treatment they gave Bruce and Babs in that movie. So I decided to write my own version of what really happened before the Joker shoot to Babs.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, I'm just taking them borrow, they belong to DC.

A/N: I know this story is no the one that I promise to publish in my profile but I think the others stories I wrote are terribly, so I decided to post this only. Maybe, someday I would publish the others but I'm not sure.

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Batman and Batgirl were fighting in a rooftop. She was finally getting the upper hand; she had managed to take him down, and she was holding him down strongly, but all the sudden some tears started to leak from her cowl. She let go of Batman and slowly moved a little apart from him. She knew he had let her win, he wasn't really fighting her. She sat up, took out her cowl, and she tried to clear the tears with her hands but she couldn't exactly stop crying.

"It's Jason, isn't it?

Batman sat up and he took off his cowl too, he was still slightly annoyed with her but he was mostly confused for her crying and her question.

"What?"

"You're scared for what happened to Jason, you're afraid that something similar would happen to me too, aren't you? Jason died! we lost him! But not only him, we lost ourselves after that. Dick was right that night; we're too much alike, aren't we? - Batman was about to say something, but she pressured to keep talking- No, please let me finish! Please…because if I don't, I know I'll never say it, and I don't…I can't keep it up any longer. – She looked intensely to him like asking for permission to continue, her face covered in tears. He didn't said anything, he was just staring her back with that serious characteristic and emotionless look that it was almost impenetrable, so she knew that he wasn't going to interrupt her, still she turned apart not being really able to look him while she was talking- He died, nor me or you, but in way it feels like a part of us had died that day too, and that's because it did. We submerged ourselves to this job so much that we hardly ever talk anything that's not relatable to it, I…we miss him so much, but it's much easier to punch criminals than to allow ourselves to feel or talk- Barbara's voice was breaking in the last part. A few seconds passed, they both stayed quiet not knowing exactly to say. She pinched her nose and close her eyes, while she massaged her eyes trying to stop the tears again, but as she was cleaning her tears she saw something in her hands that made her chuckle with a smile that didn't really get to meet her eyes, she looked up at him gaining a little braveness -We're seriously messed up, but that shouldn't really surprise me, after all who else dress up like bats and go outs to fight crime, if there isn't something seriously wrong with them, right?- she expected to him say something, but he didn't, though she wasn't really all that surprised. That was who Bruce…no…that was who Batman was, he was incapable of feeling emotions or expressing any of them especially after that day, so she shouldn't be really expecting him to comfort her or anything, least of all to try to negate all this, he wasn't really disappointing her. However, as soon as the next thought stroke her mind, her gaze fell to the floor again–Y'know, what's the worst part of all this? It's that still Dick doesn't know, he's still in another planet, and we don't know how he is or how we're gonna to explain this to him when he gets back- of course, she didn't voice up her worst fear, the dread that he might not come back, as opened up like she was being that didn't mean she was ready to let all her worst fears out-…Oh, my…what're we gonna tell him? How can we explain we lost him younger brother? How can we ever explain that we lost a part of our family?" She shouted at him starting to cry again. It had been so hard to keep up all this emotions, she had tried, she had really tried to be what this job demanded, what the Batman demanded. And for months, she had managed to just focus on the work, not to talk, or mention anything but honestly she couldn't keep up this charade anymore.

"We don't have to explain anything to him!" Bruce shouted back scowling to Barbara's words and standing up, finally showing a little emotion this night. He had quietly heard everything she had to say, and while she may be right in some things she said, that didn't mean he was really ready to handle the truth. Bruce had lost so much, he had lost both of his own sons in this fight, well he hadn't exactly lost Dick…he had just pushed him aside, because he was too much afraid from losing him like he did with his parents, he had pushed Dick away…exactly like he was doing with Barbara now. He knew that, he knew that Barbara was family, maybe not by blood nor even in papers, but Alfred wasn't either for the matter and that didn't stop him from being a family member too. He knew he could trust in them, he really loved them and cared for them, but that didn't mean he was ready to let any of them get closer to him. What happened to Jason had just cemented that idea. He put his cowl back on, and he turned around thinking this conversation was pretty much over.

"Maybe you're right; maybe we don't owe an explanation to Dick. But, that doesn't mean we don't owe something to Jason, doesn't it?-Barbara told those words hastily before she lost all courage she ever had, as she slowly also stood up. - That's why we keep doing this…because, even though, we both had lost people that we cared and part of our humanity in this never ending battle, we still are not done fighting! - Bruce turned back to stared her not really expecting those last words from her, he was actually shocked- I'm sorry Bruce, I know you're scared, I know how much you don't want me or Dick to follow this path, I know how much you care for us. But the sad truth is that we're just stuck in this, we're already way to deep in this whole mess, and we're not the little kids that you knew once. – Barbara shocked her head- No anymore. – After a moment, Barbara chuckled back again, this time more sincerely- We're all grown-ups, this is our fight too, and we…I'm not giving up. So, it's alright if you want to push me away, but don't expect me to quit because of that. I decided to take this mantle because I want to protect this city, because I was seeking for justice, and yes, perhaps I was inspired because of you but make no mistake, I'm on this because I want, because I chose it. So maybe…Maybe…maybe it'll be alright if we just work apart from now on."

"Is that really what you want?" Bruce asked trying to mask out every emotion, though he didn't really manage.

"That's it really matters? - She asked back, but she didn't get any answer, nor was she expecting it. She sneered- Yeah, I didn't think so too…- She put her cowl back on again. – I'm going after Steward; so please don't try to stop me. I'll really hate having to fight you too, but that doesn't mean I'll let you or anyone else stop me. "She threw her batarang to another building, and she was gone for the night.

The next night…

Batgirl had finally got a clue where Steward might be, she was going there to take him down when she saw a big explosion in the ports. The place where she was heading, that could only mean one thing, Batman was there and she was late…again. She viewed in absolute horror how the fire sprung for a few seconds before she pressured quicker to the place, she was terrified to see that yet another person she cared might be death.

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A/N: I didn't hate that movie, but I did hate what they did to my favourite characters, no just the sex part(because as much I view Bruce and Barbara like uncle and niece, I knew it was going to happen sadly) but all the others parts were worst like when she was complaining about men, or when she just throw a random guy that she didn't even know, and when they made her quit that was like the final nail on the coffin. So, I decided to write this down, please review if you want stories from me, and give constructive criticism.

Thanks


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